What are you doing to support restaurants during Covid19?

I didn’t want to hijack the BYOB thread and I also think this is important enough to have it’s own topic.

Clearly, the restaurant industry is in BIG trouble. We all seem to enjoy restaurants around the world quite frequently.

So what are you doing to help?

There are many GoFundMe pages.
There are many restaurants offering take out
There is the gift card option.

Personally, I have been ordering a lot of take out from my favorite restaurants and trying to donate to the GoFundMe accounts of small restaurants that have always treated me well.

What say you?


George

Our favorite local Italian byob is doing takeout on weekends. We have ordered every day that they have offered takeout. We also give a 25% gratuity, and purchase a $100 gift certificate to support their cash flow.

It is a really sad time for restaurants. Many in ATL transitioned to take out, but several have already given up on that. I have contributed to several GoFundMe pages to help restaurant workers and I have purchased gift cards for future use.

I have not done takeout as I don’t understand how people feel that is safe, but that is just me.

Dennis - This article helped me get reasonably comfortable with getting take-out.

Everything other than staying at home and having zero contact with the outside world carries some degree of risk. It’s up to every individual what degree of risk they are willing take, so I’m not trying to change your mind, only sharing something that was useful to me. A highlight:

"Can I get COVID-19 from touching or eating contaminated food?
There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 has spread through food or food packaging

According to multiple health and safety organizations worldwide, including the CDC, the USDA, and the European Food safety Authority, there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 has spread through food or food packaging. Previous coronavirus epidemics likewise showed no evidence of having been spread through food or packaging.


Are we sure food isn’t a vector of COVID-19 transmission?
No, we don’t know for sure. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that food is not a vector. The epidemiology of food-borne pathogens is well studied, with government data going back to 1938. The spread pattern of COVID-19 does not fit models of foodborne outbreaks, which are defined as two or more people getting sick from the same contaminated food or drink.

For instance, Singapore has tracked its COVID-19 patients and submitted them to extensive interviews by teams from the Ministry of Health to try to determine patterns of spread. It’s been found that most cases are linked to clusters of people, including hotel guests attending conferences, church groups, and shoppers, while none are linked to contaminated food or drink.

The fact that every person eats multiple times a day and thus far no link has been found between eating and viral clusters is strong evidence that no such link exists."

We are contributing to GoFundme campaigns, buying gift certificates, buying t-shirts, and getting some take-out from favorite local places.

First of all safety is up to each individual. My thoughts are that I only buy from restaurants I know and I only purchased cooked food. It is all curbside delivery so I don’t go in the actual restaurant. Is there a chance there is virus on the packaging/bag etc… sure there is always a chance. I dispose of it and replate everything with multiple hand washings. The chance of virus getting from packaging to the food is pretty minimal IMO. Of course there could be someone in the restaurant that is sick and sheds virus on the food. Hopefully the heat will take care of that.

Nothing is foolproof. Delivery, going to grocery store etc. I don’t feel this puts me at a significantly greater risk and the food is good and I am hopefully helping the restaurant.

George

Sarah - Thanks for posting. I did not know this until I read your article.

According to multiple health and safety organizations worldwide, including the CDC, the USDA, and the European Food safety Authority, there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 has spread through food or food packaging. Previous coronavirus epidemics likewise showed no evidence of having been spread through food or packaging

George

I’m getting to go four or five nights a week, purposely. I tip better than my usual generous tip as well. As an offset I’m getting lots of miles on the bike. Best of luck to all.

Thanks for this.

Excellent info and appreciated. We want to do all we can to support local businesses but also trying to take proper precautions. This info helps ease our minds.

Living on take out. If they have a good wine list, I buy a bottle or 2 even though I have plenty of wine. Tonight is the first home cooked meal in 2 weeks.
As a physician I have no reservation ordering take out from restaurants that I know. The biggest concern is the packaging but replating it and good hand washing is sufficient. In the hospital everyone is obsessed with hand washing every time which I hope persists after the pandemic.

We’ve done take out from several local places. Every single one said they are busy.

Like Mont I’m out everyday and seeing patients most days. Once weekly I bring in take out, trying to amp that up to twice weekly. S-I-P ain’t going away and 100K or more restaurants will close.

First of all I have quit ordering BAT !

I am doing take out with some of my go to restaurants, with generous tipping.
Next week I plan to talk to the owner of my best regular restaurant and see if he would like me to pay upfront NOW for a future G12 dinner ( private room 12 GUYS & OUR WINES), which would be held after the all clear is given. We have done these dinners there before.
It is my turn for the group coming up.

Napa has a restaurant FB page and the posts are amazing in number. We’ve ordered lunch for the last 14 days, (minus one, pizza so big it lasted two days). We’ve heavy tipped the Door Dash drivers and restaurant delivery people. The food has been stellar. Restaurants are offering “kits” to make your own lunch or dinner including virtual chef instructions to engage your children. Despite this, every two or three days, one of the restaurants close their doors. I’m not sure they can survive another 60 days.

Similar to others. Purposely ordering from favorite restaurants, overtipping, buying wine & beer I don’t need. Need to hit some GoFundMes and buy some gift cards.

Did takeout last Saturday and again yesterday from a couple local favorites. Will continue to do so. They say they are staying somewhat busy…fits and starts. Donated to employee fund of another that is completely shut down.

  1. Take out once a week from favorite BYO restaurant with a big tip; I think he’s barely afloat
  2. Promised a furloughed employee I’d hire her to do a special French dinner when/if it is safe to gather…also with a big tip

Maybe a time to stop the BYO a while and buy off the list?? I know that is sacrilege here but it is a big money maker for restaurants.

George

gift cards

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